The Bear and The Nightengale

Title:  The Bear and The Nightengale
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Source Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


Amid the Russian wilderness, winter seems to last forever.  Vasilisa spends her time huddled around the fire to listen to stories told by her nurse, her favorite being about Frost; the winter demon who appears in the night to claim souls.  Soon after her birth, Vasilisa's mother passes away and her father goes to Moscow to find a new wife.  Her new step mother forbids the family and the rest of the estate to honor the house, yard, and forest spirits and honor the Christian God instead.  But Vasilisa personally knows these spirits are real, and the family rituals are more important than others realize.  Soon enough crops begin to fail, and creatures of the forest venture closer to the homes.  Her stepmother and the new priest combine their efforts to force the young girl into either marriage or the convent, but Vasilisa will have nothing of it and escapes into the sanctuary of the forest.  What she finds will change her forever.

This book came up as a recommendation because I loved reading Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and I was skeptical of the comparison.  While this book doesn't have the same theme or idea as Night Circus, it still spun a spell around my mind and soul and Katherine Arden's talented writing drug me deep into her tale. The book was enchantingly dark, darker than I expected but I loved it, couldn't get enough of it.  Arden has been able to craft a world that lingers on the fence between the seen and unseen and pokes at the mystery of the beyond. She has transformed this Russian folklore into something magical and fresh.


I have always enjoyed reading books based on folklore, especially folklore that I am not accustomed to and this novel was the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to something outside my realm of knowledge.  I appreciated the fact that while Vasilisa honored the house/yard/forest spirits, she also did not discount the faith of her step-mother, priest and brother.  She seemed to respect them and simply asked the priest to respect her own beliefs and allow her to practice as she has always done.  This was a powerful aspect of the novel as we are reminded that she is a young woman not 16 yet (I believe by the end she is 14 or so). Vasya is a strong-willed independent character who continues to grow into herself and the things she believes in.  There is a lot to be said in her character not being willing to sacrifice herself to fit what everyone else wants her to be.  That's powerful in and of itself. 


I loved how Arden uses some traditional Russian words, it helped put me into the setting and made me want to learn more about the language.  There is a glossary at the end as well as an Authors Note about the terms that help the readers understand the usage of these terms.  She has a very lyrical writing style which is perfect for this kind of a book as it really makes the story feel like a folklore/fairy tale.  She does a great job in showing the relationship between good and evil as well as the transition between old beliefs and new and how it could become a battle ground of faith and self preservation.


I highly enjoyed reading this novel and plan on checking out the second book in the series The Girl In The Tower.  This book had everything I was looking for in a read, magic, some adventure, and folk lore.  It was the perfect choice for my vacation last week.  If you enjoy novels like fairy tale retellings and spinning of folk lore, give this book a shot I'm sure you might like it.


Check out some other reviews of The Bear and The Nightengale:


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